U.S. District Judge Price Marshall last week approved a settlement that will end the state of Arkansas’ legal obligation to make extra payments to the three school districts in Pulaski County in order to facilitate desegregation.

If Dustin McDaniel is right, the Little Rock School District could be taking a big gamble by withholding its approval of a deal that would end years of extra state payments to boost desegregation. If he is wrong, the district's gamble could be worth it.

The Arkansas Legislative Council has approved a proposed settlement that would put an end to years of payments the state makes to boost desegregation efforts in three Little Rock-area school districts.

Denise Drennan, CFO of the North Little Rock School District, has helped the district out of a fiscal pinch and onto the path to growth and improvement. Her efforts made her a finalist for Arkansas Business CFO of the year in the public sector category.